metee



(No Model.) w

J. W. MEYER.

PACKING JAR.

No. 483,258. Patented Sept. 27, 1892.

I riff/I Juli iusWJiyer:

mm. m mm NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS WV. MEYER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ROBERT E. MASON, OF SAME PLACE.

PACKI NG-JAR.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 483,258, dated September 2'7, 1892. M

Application filed October 17, 1891. Serial No. 408,992. (No model.)

To whom it May concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS W. MEYER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a new and useful Packing-Jar, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to packing and stormg vessels, more especially of that class known as screw-cap jars; and the object of the same is to produce an improved jar of this character which can be cheaply manufactured, is not liable to break, and exposes the contents to View, and from which such contents can be removed with greater facility than heretofore.

To these ends the invention consists in a jar constructed substantially as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a general perspective View of this jar full of meat and in condition for transportation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical central section of the same with the upper cover and gasket slightly removed and showing in dotted lines the manner in which the contents can be removed. Fig. 3 is asimilar section of the jar inverted, the plug and its gasket being in this case removed.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter J designates the jar-body, which is preferably round, though it may be square, polygonal, or of other shape, and which tapers slightly from its open upper end to its lower end or bottom B, the latter being preferably fiat, or nearly so, on the inside of the jar and dished, as seen in Fig. 3, on the outside or bottom of the jar. The body is provided around its lower end with an enlargement or foot F, forming a broad base, on which it rests and by which it is prevented from falling over, this foot being preferably of a little less diameter than the upper end of the body. The open upper end or mouth of the body is slightly reduced to form a shoulder S and threaded above such shoulder, as at 'l. C is a closure or large cover having a depending annular flange D, interiorly threaded to fit said threads T, and R is a broad rubber gasket or ring which is interposed between the shoulder S and the lower edge of the depending flange D. By the use of this cover and gasket it will be understood that the mouth of the body can be hermeticallyclosed by simply screwing the cover tightly down onto the gaskeufand the latter by projecting, as it does, beyond the cover and body prevents the jar from breakage in transportation or in case of being knocked over from the upright position which it is intended to occupy.

In the center of the bottom B is a hole H, which is threaded, as shown, and which is preferably surrounded at its lower end by a shoulder s, and P is a plug having areduced and threaded upper end E, which fits the hole, and having a shoulder .9, adapted to contact with that around the hole, a small rubber gasket or ring 0' being also here interposed, if desired.

All parts of the device above described are preferably of glass, the body being of such a grade that the contents of the jar are exposed to View and the cover and plug, if desired, being of cheaper glass. The gaskets are preferably of rubber, although other material may be used, if desired. The exact sizes and shapes of parts are immaterial, except in so far as hereinafter described, and considerable addition to and elaboration of the specific details of construction maybe made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

In filling this jar the cover is removed and the jar is,.for instance, filledwith meat. The cover and its gasket are then put on and the former screwed tightly home. The jaris then inverted, the plug removed, and the jar processed "that is to say, subjected to heat, as by being placed in hot water until the contents are expanded and what air there may be therein is ejected through the hole H. This hole is large enough for such purpose, but is not as large as the open upper end of the jar, which might serve the same purpose, but which would also permit the simultaneous ingress of a certain amount of air. The plugis then inserted together with the gasket, if it be used and screwed tightly home, after or before which the jar maybe subjected to the cooking process, if the contents be such as require it. It preferred, a small seal, as of wax, may be run into the dished bottom around the plug after it is put in place, and this may ing.

lake the place of the small gasket or may be used in addition thereto. (See dotted lines, bottom of Fig. 2.) The jars are then packed by the dozen in boxes or crates, which may be suitably labeled, as may the jars, also, if desired, and the wholeis shipped to the dealer. During such transportation the jars will not move about in the box,because the large gaskets, being larger than the feet, are in contact at all times within the box, or the jars may be packed in sawdust; or, if preferred, every other jar may be inverted, so that its gasket will strike the glass portions of the two adjacent jars and the gaskets of the latter will strike the glass of the jar interven- When the dealer takes the jars from the boX, they are stood on the shelf, the plug P entering the dished bottom far enough to permit, and they form an attractive ornament, the fact that the contents are visible through the jar-body drawing the attention of customers and enhancing the sale of the goods.

To remove the contents from this jar, the user unscrews the cap or cover and the plug, inserts his thumb or another similar punch in the hole at the lower end of the jar, and pushes the caked contents bodily upward, tapping or even heating the jar slightly, if necessary, to loosen said cake within it. After the cake has been once started from its seat the interior flare which the body possesses will cause it to be loose thereafter. As the upper end of this cake or block of meat, for instance, is thus projected beyond the mouth of the jar it is cut off in neat and attractive slices, which may be served with or without cooking, and which are much more appetizing than food served in chunks, such as are gouged with a table-knife from the can or j arin which food of this character is ordinarily packed. It is well known that glass or porcelain is the best material adapted for containing food and can be used for the longest time for this purpose without becoming foul. The acids and gases in the meat or other contents have no effect whatever on it, as they do on tin or other materials which have been heretofore used for this purpose.

After my improved jar has been emptied it can be used by the housewife for containing preserves or for other purposes, or it might be returned tgthe packer and could be washed for reuse as long as it lasted.

I have described above my preferred form of securing the cover and plug in place; but it is obvious that other forms of closure-fastener could be used, if desired, especially on the plug. For instance, if the cover were to be fastened to the body by the usual and wellknown bayonet-joint connection the large gasket could be clamped upon the shoulder S by having the innerarms of the bayonet-slots slightly inclined, and other means will suggest themselves for so clamping this gasket whatever form of closure-fastener is used. However, I prefer the threads for the cover 0, and they may be as economical for the plug P as anything else.

What is claimed as new is The herein-described-jar, constructed of friable material, the same consisting of the downwardly-tapered body portion J, having its upper large end exteriorly reduced and threaded, the fiat annular rubber gasket mounted on the reduced portion, the closure for the jar, having an annular interiorlythreaded fiange,-tl1e smaller end of the jar having the annular concaved foot F, the center of which is provided with a threaded perforation, and the threaded plug therefor, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I havehereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

J. W. MEYER. -Witnesses:

CHAS. L. HUTCHINS, WM. H. WYLIE. 

